There was a "pattern of violations" and repeated failure to meet mandatory safety standards at the mine, according to an October 2013 letter from the MSHA to the mining company.

"These groups of violations, taken alone or together, constitute a pattern of violations of mandatory health and safety standards in the coal or other mine which are of such nature as could have significantly and substantially contributed to the cause and effect of coal or other mine health or safety hazards," the MSHA report stated.

Brody Mine was placed on what's known as POV, or pattern of violations, status. Under that program, each time the mine received a significant and substantial violation of MSHA's mandatory standards, MSHA issued a withdrawal order and evacuated the part of the mine affected by the violation, according to Louviere.

The spokeswoman said that Brody Mine received 69 withdrawal orders under the POV provision, among other closure orders.

West Virginia was the site of one of the worst mining disasters in recent memory. In 2010, 29 miners were killed in an explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine in Naoma.